What is PTAC, how can it help?

The Defense Logistics Agency, on behalf of the Secretary of Defense, administers theDoD Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP). Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) are a local resource available at no or nominal cost that can provide assistance to businesses in marketing products and services to the federal, state and local governments. Learn what the PTAP program can do for you, then find your local PTAC.

Why can't I open files? (Links to Document Viewers)

When you are trying to open attachments, assuming you are authorized to view them, if you receive an "open" error or are asked to convert the attachment files it may mean the document type is one that you do not have the software to view. You may need to install a document viewer, such as, Acrobat (.pdf files) or WinZip (.zip files) on your system.

What are Procurement Classification Codes?

In this system, procurements are classified by Federal Supply Codes/Product Services Codes. The following is a listing of the classification codes:

Note: The contracting official has final authority on which procurement classification code the solicitation will use, therefore you may want to search on several classification codes related to your area of interest.

How do I find out about upcoming opportunities related to reconstruction efforts in Iraq?

The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for the repair and continuity of operations of the Iraqi oil infrastructure. The Army is the Executive Agent for this mission and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for awarding and managing contracts required to carry out this mission. The DoD Contractor Hot Line for expressing interest in procurements involving the repair and continuity of operations of Iraqi oil infrastructure is 1-866-461-5171. There will be a competitive procurement. The solicitation will be posted at the FBO website, http://www.fedbizopps.gov/. Information can also be obtained from the USACE website, http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/iraq/iraq.htm

DoD has available an online publication, "Doing Business with the DoD, " offering a step-by-step guide to marketing your business within the DoD arena. The site is located at: http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/doing_business/index.htm.

A DoD small business guide that may be helpful is at http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/doing_business/index.htm.The reconstruction effort may encompass everything from power grids, ports, roads, bridges, and telecommunications, to schools and health care facilities. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is involved, and has a number of procurement actions planned and in process. Details can be found at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/.

The US Department of Commerce provides prime contractor POC information for those seeking subcontracting opportunities at http://www.export.gov/iraq. Commerce also has a hotline (1-866-352-IRAQ).

Do all Iraq reconstruction contract opportunities have to be competitive and/or posted to FedBizOpps?

Contract opportunities in Iraq will be posted at the Government point of entry (GPE), Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) at http://www.fedbizopps.gov// unless a statutory exception to synopsis requirements as described in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) applies. Specific exceptions to the posting of proposed contract actions at FBO include, but are not limited to, requirements where...

Perishable subsistence supplies are needed and advance notice is not appropriate or reasonable.

The proposed contract action is made under the terms of an existing contract that was previously synopsized in sufficient detail.

The proposed contract action is authorized or required by a statute to be made through another Government agency. This would include acquisitions from the Small Business Administration (SBA) using the authority of section 8(a) -- except for competitive 8(a)s as described in FAR 19.805.

The proposed contract action

is for an amount NOT expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold;

will be made through a means that provides access to the notice of proposed contract action through the GPE; and

For contractors interested in Iraq reconstruction contracts, the following information may also be of interest: The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for the repair and continuity of operations of the Iraqi oil infrastructure. The Army is the Executive Agent for this mission and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for awarding and managing contracts required to carry out this mission. The DoD Contractor Hot Line for expressing interest in procurements involving the repair and continuity of operations of Iraqi oil infrastructure is 1-866-461-5171. The Corps will be conducting a competitive procurement. The solicitation will be posted at the FBO website http://www.fedbizopps.gov/. Information can also be obtained from the Corps' website, http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/iraq/iraq.htm.

DoD has available an online publication, "Selling to the Military," that identifies the research, development, and procurement responsibilities of each DoD organizational activity. The publication provides helpful advice for marketing ideas and other relevant information. The site is located at http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps57820/www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/publications/selling/.

A DoD small business guide that may be helpful is at http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/publications/sbs/sbs.html

The reconstruction effort may encompass everything from power grids, ports, roads, bridges, and telecommunications, to schools and health care facilities.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is involved, and has a number of procurement actions planned and in process. Details can be found at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/.

What is a "sources sought" notice? And how can I find them?

The Sources Sought notice is a synopsis posted by a government agency that states they are seeking possible sources for a project. It is not a solicitation for work, nor is it a request for proposal. Reference the FAR, Subpart 7.3 and OMB Circular A-76. You can use the following search technique to find Sources Sought notices. Advanced Search:

Go to www.fbo.gov

Click on "opportunities" main navigation (upper navigation bar).

On the "opportunities list" tab, use the "more" field to see additional search filters.

What is a "special notice"? And how can I find them?

The Special Notice is used for the announcement of procurement matters such as business fairs, long-range procurement estimates, pre-bid/pre-proposal conferences, meetings, and the availability of draft solicitations or draft specifications for review. You can use the following search technique to find Special Notices. Advanced Search:

Go to www.fbo.gov

Click on "opportunities" main navigation (upper navigation bar).

On the "opportunities list" tab, use the "more" field to see additional search filters.

How can I obtain a user's manual?

Why can't we see certain documents in an RFP? Why do I have to register in SAM to see certain documents?

Since the events of September 11, 2001, the government has become more sensitive to documents that might provide
information on maps, floor plans, buildings, places, systems etc., that we choose to protect - to the greatest
extent possible. Although the procurement is on FedBizOpps because we seek to obtain full and open competition
among suppliers, we realize the best we can achieve is to track who has access to particular files. It is for this
reason alone that registration of our suppliers in SAM is required. In the event something happens to any portion
of the facilities, people in those facilities, information, or information inside the technology, the government
has a list of potential companies or individuals at those companies, who were provided the full RFP. No document
contained in FedBizOpps is classified. In addition, FedBizOpps users are not implying a new security classification
category. Nor is the application creating a new security classified code outside of existing security protocols. Use
of secure side within FedBizOpps simply represents the fact a member of the source selection team believes a
document's contents are sensitive. Therefore it is posted on the secure side to allow the government to provide
minimal details of who was given the procurement documents in the event of an investigation. The government
maintains the right to control the access to unclassified information. No document is limited in access in an
attempt to limit transparency. As long as a company is registered in SAM, they have access to any files on the
secure side of FedBizOpps.

Should I register as a Buyer or a Vendor?

Your role is defined by how you use FBO. There are two primary types of FBO users who register for role-based FBO accounts. The first are
government contracting officers at Federal agencies who are looking to buy goods and services on behalf of their agency. They are known as
Buyers. The second are commercial vendors looking to sell goods and services to the government. They are known as Vendors.

You are a Vendor if you represent a business who sells (or want to sell) goods and services to the Federal government.
Those registered for Vendor accounts may search, monitor and retrieve opportunities. Note: Entering your 9 digit DUNS
number during registration will enable the system to retrieve your company information from the System for Award
Management (SAM.gov) database. This sets the stage for you to later access controlled, unclassified documents.

You are a Citizen if you do not represent a company wishing to do business with the government but need access to
the advanced functionality available to registered users, like search agents and watchedlists. Citizens are simply
members of the public who have registered accounts for informational purposes. Note: the term "citizen" does not
imply United States citizenship.

What happened to the FedTeDS system?

It was retired as an independent system. The Federal Technical Data Solution (FedTeDS) system was used over the past several
years to post on-line technical data packages and other items associated with solicitations that required some level of
access control. It interfaced directly with the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE), i.e. the FedBizOpps (FBO) system.

In April 2008, a new version of FBO launched incorporating FedTeDS' capabilities. This allowed FedTeDS to be retired. Its
access control capabilities for controlling sensitive but unclassified document packages are resident now in FBO and
available to agency buyers when building procurement notices.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council issued a final rule on Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Case 2008-038 effective September 10, 2009. This ruling amends FAR Sections 5.102, 5.207 and
7.105 to (1) remove all references to FedTeDS and refer to the enhanced controls in the GPE, i.e. FBO, and(2) address
technical data availability via GPE in lieu of FedTeDS, and (3) substitute GPE in lieu of FedTeDS in references to
acquisition plans.

What is an "Intent to Bundle Requirements (DoD-Funded)" notice type? And where can I find them?

The new notice type called "Intent to Bundle Requirements (DoD-Funded)" (ITB) supports the Section 820 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requirements for contracting officers to post a notice of intent to use contract bundling procedures 30 days prior to releasing a solicitation or placing an order (if a solicitation is not required). This requirement applies to all federal agencies awarding actions funded solely with DoD funds. The requirement is captured in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) at subpart 205.205-70. If the agency has determined that measurably substantial benefits are expected to be derived as a result of bundling, the notice shall include a brief description of those benefits. An ITB notice can be created as a standalone notice, or associated with an existing base notice. You can search for and retrieve posted ITB notices by any of the associated data elements by using the existing keyword search or specific notice "type" search filters.

What are numbered notes and does FBO support them?

"Numbered Notes" were once used as standardized, procurement shorthand in Federal solicitations when they were advertised in paper form by the Commerce Business Daily. Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-24, published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2008 finalized FAR Case 2006-016 and removed all references to FedBizOpps "Numbered Notes" from the Federal Acquisition Regulation based on the premise there is no need to save paper, i.e. space is not a premium in cyberspace. FBO did so and no longer supports Numbered Notes. All contracting officers should work with the full text of statements as required by FAR 5.207 to ensure the information is clearly communicated.

What is the FBO Anti-Spamming Policy?

FBO Anti-Spamming Policy: The information provided in your account profile is monitored. Providing inaccurate information in a user profile (e.g. misrepresenting the company name or first and last name fields and / or including superfluous marketing material in the company information) may result in having your FBO account suspended.

What does "save draft" mean?

The "Save Draft" button saves the data entered on a form as a draft version. Note, for save as draft, the user is not required to complete all required fields on the form. Required fields are indicated by a red asterisk. Materials saved in draft format will remain on a buyers list of available items, but will not be viewable on the vendor interface until saved and posted/released to vendor review (or deleted).

I posted a notice to FedBizOpps, and then realized that I created it with the wrong solicitation number. How can I correct this?

When you have posted a solicitation with the wrong solicitation number, we caution users from deleting the incorrect synopsis as vendors potentially have already added the solicitation to their watchlist or received communication about the solication through a search agent. To resolve, create a posting with the correct solicitation number. Then post an amendment modification to the errant notice. In the amendment, detail the error and direct the reader to the proper solicitation number. This will allow people who have received email notifications of your opportunity to find the proper synopsis.

Why was I prematurely timed out of the system?

Once a user is logged onto the system, the system will check to make sure the user is actively using the site. If a user is inactive for 60 minutes, the user will be automatically logged off the system. Activity in this sense is defined as data that has been submitted by the user. Some examples are the request for a navigational (e.g., selection of a quicklink) or if a user submits a form (e.g., selection of "save draft" during notice creation). To ensure the user is aware of this pending circumstance, after 55 minutes of inactivity, a warning message appears that indicates the pending action. When the warning message appears, to remain logged onto the system, select "click keep me logged in." If the user does not make this selection, the session will be closed and any unsaved data will be lost. The system returns the user to the system logon screen (fbo.gov).

When I cut and paste text from my word processor into the description field of the synopsis, my formatting is corrupted (see odd characters or different format than intended). Why is this happening?

Formatting problems can be caused when word processor (including notepad) formatted text is put into a browser format. The formats are not always compatible. Because the form is WYSIWIG, you should review your inserted text to ensure the material correctly reflects your intention.

How do I delete a Modification?

Please note that FedBizOpps will not allow a buyer to delete a modification without deleting the associated notice. If an error is made on a modification, you can either post another modification or delete the entire notice. We caution users from deleting a notice as vendor potentially have already added the solicitation to their watchlist or received communication about the solicitation through a search agent.

How do I delete a solicitation?

We caution users from deleting the incorrect synopsis as vendor potentially have already added the solicitation to their watchlist, or received communication about the solicitation through a search agent. .If the solicitation is then deleted, the vendors will be frustrated as they use these features. Instead, we recommend that amendments be posted to the solicitation, explaining the error that was made, and where to find the correct solicitations, if any. This can be done by anyone who has access to those solicitations.

How do I archive a solicitation?

As each notice is created, archival information is established for the notice. Buyers are allowed to specify that the notice archive on a specified date, X days after a response deadline or via "manual archive". Manual archive means the notice remains as posted until a user manually archives the notice. Using modify or amend users can archive any solicitation, regardless of the notices specified archived settings, with the following procedure:

Go to www.fbo.gov and login as buyer.

Click on "notices" upper navigation.

Click on the modify/amend icon for the posted notice that needs to be archived.

This takes the user to the "modification type" screen. If only the archival date is to be set/changed, select "add/edit description" and then "proceed."

Users will be asked to then indicate whether they wish to "edit existing description" or "add to description" (creates a new text box that is distinct from previously entered materials). Select "edit existing description" (because that is where the archive date is established).

This opens "notice details". Scroll down to the "archiving policy" section and use "automatic, on specified date" to enter a specific date for archive. This opens a "archive date" field. Note, because the archiving process occurs at the start of the day on the date specified, users are not allowed to enter any dates less than or equal to today's date. Note, the system also checks to ensure that the response date vis-a-vis archive date and may require adjust to that field as well.

Click on "proceed" to progress through the modification process. The next step is "attachments". Unless new attachments are required, hit "proceed".

The final step allows the buyer to review the updates being made. If updates are correct, then hit "post" to update the archive date for the notice.

How do I unarchive a solicitation?

Click on the "review" icon for the notice that needs to be unarchived.

Click on the "unarchive" button. The system will prompts a user to confirm this request. Unarchiving a notice also unarchives all related modification/amendment notices, documents, links and sensitive documents.

I just posted a solicitation and don't see it as opportunity for vendors?

The system periodically sweeps through the database of notices and releases new notices for vendors to see in batches. Therefore you may notice a brief lag between hitting "post" on the buyer side and seeing it on the opportunities list.

How do vendors become eligible to download documents marked Export-Controlled?

A company must be certified by the Joint Certification Program (JCP) administered by the Defense Logistic Information Service (DLIS) to be eligible to download documents marked Export Controlled. This certification establishes that a company is a U.S. or Canadian contractor eligible to receive unclassified technical data that is under the control of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) or the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND).

Vendors outside the U.S. or Canada must be granted authorization by your agency to access the documents. Upon authorization, you must either distribute the documents directly to the vendor or utilize the Explicit Access feature within the FBO system and manually vet each request.

How do I post Justification & Approvals (J&As) on the site?

On April 13, 2009, FBO.gov established a new notice type called "Justification & Approval (J&A)" within the Opportunities section. Buyers are now able to post standalone J&A Notices, as well as associate a J&A Notice to existing notices, such as an Award, if applicable. (Electronic users should reference the new J&A interface template located under General Info.) Note: Buyers are not able to delete/modify a posted J&A Notice type. Please contact your Agency Administrator for assistance.

In addition, Vendors are able to search for and retrieve posted J&A Notices according to specific criteria, such as J&A Statutory Authority, Posted Date Range, and Contract Award Date (via Advanced Search).

How can I obtain training for the new Bid Module functionality?

Coming soon, Buyers will be able to download a recorded webinar that will walk through the features and functionality of the new Bid Module. In addition, the User Guides are updated and available on the home page (www.fbo.gov).

I am a registered Buyer, why don't I have access to the Bid Module?

Agency and Office Location Administrators manage user access to the Bid Module. If you do not have access, it is because this feature is not enabled for your Location. Contact your FBO Administrator for more information.

I am an Agency Administrator, how do I disable the Bid Module for my users?

Login to the Administrator interface and go to "Agencies" found in the left-hand navigation menu which will display all of the organizations in your hierarchy. Click on the "Edit" icon next to the desired organization. At the bottom of the "Core" tab for the Agency Information page, there are two fields used to set the permission level for the Bid Module: Allow CLIN Template and Allow Doc Package. Set both of these fields to "Not Allow." Note: If set to "Ignore," lower level administrators can enable/disable this feature independently. If set to "Allow," lower level administrators will still need to enable the Bid Module for their users to be able to access it.

I am an Office Location Administrator, how do I enable/disable the Bid Module for my users?

Login to the Administrator interface and go to "Manage Location" found in the left-hand navigation menu. Click on the "Edit" button. At the bottom of the "Edit Location" tab, there are two fields used to set the permission level of the Bid Module for your users: Allow CLIN Template and Allow Doc Package. To enable either option, set the field(s) to "Allow." To disable either option, set the field(s) to "Not Allow" or "Ignore." Note, if the Agency Administrator disabled this feature for the entire agency, you will not be able to enable it for your Location. Contact your Agency Administrator for more information.

My agency needs to solicit goods or services to help rebuild Haiti following the January 12, 2010 earthquake. How do I designate contracting opportunities related to the Haitian Relief and Reconstruction Effort?

You can designate Federal agency opportunities seeking goods or services related to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti by simply including the keyword "Haiti" in the notice title. This will allow interested vendors to easily search for the opportunity using the keyword search.

I am a Buyer. How can I create a controlled, unclassified Solicitation from a standard Presolicitation notice?

If the Solicitation notice requires a level of access control, the Buyer may choose to upload it as a secure document package.

FBO supports the acquisition lifecycle by enabling Buyers to modify their Presolicitation notices into Solicitation notices when attaching the solicitation package. Those using the web interface, i.e. logged onto FBO.gov directly, can quickly do this by following the instructions in the FBO Buyer User Guide and as summarized below:

Selecting "Yes" to the question "Is this package sensitive/secure?" will open a drop down and display an additional field for "Package Type" with the following options: Solicitation; Other; Mod/Amendment.

Select "Solicitation" for Package Type

Locate and upload the secure solicitation package

Continue through the steps, adding additional packages as desired

When the modification is submitted, the notice type automatically changes from Pre-solicitation to Solicitation

In addition, the attachSecureDocumentPackagesToNotice web service method now includes an optional uploadtype tag.

I am a Buyer. When preparing an Award Notice, am I required to fill in the DUNS number for the contractor awardee?

FBO now supports a new data element on the Award Notice form to capture the DUNS number. The field label is "Contractor Awarded DUNS" and is inserted in the following locations: Award Notice form in the web interface; FTP/email interface template; and Web Services submitAward method. This field is not required but any data provided must be numeric only and 9 digits in length (with an optional plus 4). This field is a step towards increased traceability through different systems. Many contracting officers already include the DUNS number in parentheses at the end of the "Contractor Awardee" field as a work-around. Refer to your internal Agency policy if you have questions about this optional data element.

I am a Buyer who doesn't log into FBO directly. Using my interfacing method, how can I attach a document package at the same time I submit a notice?

Buyers using FBO Web Services can now simultaneously post a notice and a document package. Previously, only the web service method to submit a Justification & Approval (J&A) notice type (submitJA) allowed users to submit a document package inline with the notice submission. For non J&A notice types, users had to first submit the base notice and then attach desired files/links using the Document Upload method.

Each web service method now includes optional file and link elements. The label for the package is "Attachment." The J&A notice method explicitly labels the package as "Justification & Approval." However, submitting document packages inline with notice submissions for other notice types would: 1) Add a document package with the label "Attachment" and 2) ensure the type is "other." Note: If interfacing users want to upload the solicitation package explicitly, they will still have to use the DocumentUpload template.

I am a Buyer. When do I need to use the "Intent to Bundle Requirements (DoD-Funded)" notice type?

The "Intent to Bundle Requirements (DoD-Funded)" notice type addresses requirements in Section 820 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) instructing contracting officers post a notice of intent to use contract bundling procedures 30 days prior to releasing a solicitation or placing an order (if a solicitation is not required). This requirement applies to all federal agencies awarding actions funded solely with DoD funds. The requirement is captured in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) at subpart 205.205-70. The contracting officer must also provide a description of the benefits anticipated from bundling the requirements in the notice.

I am a Buyer, but my agency doesn't interface with FBO directly. We use an interfacing contract writing system. Where do I find the FBO Web Services technical documentation?

On FedBizOpps' General Info tab, you will find a Web Services link. This page provides an overview of FBO-supported XML web services and the most recent version of the web services technical documentation.

I am a Buyer. Can I use numbered notes in my solicitation?

No. "Numbered Notes" were once used as standardized, procurement shorthand in Federal solicitations when they were advertised in paper form by the Commerce Business Daily. Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-24, published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2008 finalized FAR Case 2006-016 and removed all references to FedBizOpps "Numbered Notes" from the Federal Acquisition Regulation based on the premise there is no need to save paper, i.e. space is not a premium in cyberspace. FBO no longer supports Numbered Notes. All contracting officers should work with the full text of statements as required by FAR 5.207 to ensure the information is clearly communicated.

I am a Buyer. How do I convert my Presolicitation notice to a non-secure Solicitation?

FBO supports the acquisition lifecycle by enabling Buyers to modify their Presolicitation notices into Solicitation notices when attaching the solicitation package. Those using the web interface, i.e. logged onto FBO.gov directly, can quickly do this by following the instructions in the FBO Buyer User Guide as summarized below:

I am a Buyer, but my agency doesn't interface with FBO directly. We use an interfacing contract writing system. Where do I find ftp/e-mail templates for FBO?

On FedBizOpps' General Info tab, you will find an Electronic Interface link. This page provides an overview of the templates used by interfacing systems, as well as a list of the supported templates. Each template shows the tag, description and format of the data element.

Navigate to the existing office that you want to merge in the Office Location #2 field.

Select Office Location #1 as the one to keep (that should be your new office).

Confirm your choice and submit.

Your merged office's buyers and any active notices will be associated with the new office.

We recommend you test the process in the FBO test environment before modifying your live hierarchy. Create two dummy offices in the test environment and merge them following the steps above. Your FBO Agency Administrator can provide you an account on the test server.

What is the Small Business Central Event Listing?

The Interagency Task Force on Small Business Contracting recommended that agencies post all new outreach and training events on FedBizOpps in order to make it easier and less burdensome for small businesses to learn about and transact business with the federal government. The new Small Business Central Event Listing Outreach and Training provides a dynamic "calendar" for allowing small business users to search for business development, matchmaking, and training opportunities by various criteria, including agency, date, location, and small business category.

As a Federal agency representative, how do I advertize my agency's Small Business Events on FedBizOpps?

To create an event listing, log in a government user (buyer) at www.fbo.gov and select 'create notice.' When creating an event listing, use 'special notice' as the notice type and ensure the "title" field begins with "Small Business Event" to facilitate easier searching by small businesses.

Note: The system will key on 'special notice' as the notice type and the text string "Small Business Event" in the title when returning search results. If you do not use 'special notice' as the notice type or use the text string "Small Business Event," your event listing will not appear in the search results. For more information on creating and managing notices in FBO, consult the Buyer User Guide or watch the Managing FBO Notices training video on the 'Getting Started' tab.

How do I post exceptions to Fair Opportunity for delivery/task orders awarded under a multiple-award IDV contracts on FBO?

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Case 2007-012 amends FAR subpart 5.301(a)(2) (effective May 16, 2011) to require that contracting officers post their justifications on FBO whenever they make a delivery/task order award under a multiple-award IDV (including Federal Supply Schedules, GWACs, and multiple award IDIQ contracts) and do not provide for fair opportunity. These notices can be posted as standalone notices or in association with existing notices. Web interface users select "Fair Opportunity / Limited Sources Justification" notice type when creating the notice. Electronic interface users should reference the new Fair Opportunity template located under General Info System Documentation. XML Web Services users should reference the Web Services Technical Documentation under General Info System Documentation. Note: Buyers are not able to delete/modify a posted Fair Opportunity notice type once posted. Please contact your Agency Administrator for assistance.

How can I use FBO web services to download specific notice information into my agency's interfacing system?

With FBO Version 4.7, FBO web services users can pull specific data elements from their posted notices using the getNoticeData method. Instructions are found in Section 9 of the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation.

How can I use FBO web services to correct information in a posted notice?

With FBO Version 4.7, the ability to perform corrections for notices posted via web services has been provided for each notice type as well as for modifications/amendments and awards. The "correction" field added to each notice type can be set to "true" to allow for corrections to notices, modifications / amendments, and awards. Please see the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation for details.

How does FBO display a correction to a notice posted via web services?

With FBO Version 4.7, when a correction is submitted via web services to a J&A, AWARD, ITB or FAIROPP notice using the "correction" field with a value of "true," FBO displays the correction in the same manner as a Modification/Amendment. The correction becomes part of the visible notice history.

Which notice_type submissions in the submitNotice web service method does the 'correction' field apply to?

Can I use the same notice number for multiple notice types, i.e. my sources sought notice and my presolicitation?

With FBO Version 4.7, government users can now use the same notice number across multiple notice types. FBO will validate notice numbers by notice type (i.e. make sure there is not an existing notice of the same type with that notice number) whether the notice is submitted using FBO web services, the FBO web interface, or using the electronic interface templates.

Does using the same notice number for multiple notice types link the difference notices, i.e. will my sources sought notice link to my presolitication notice?

No. FBO was designed around notice types not the notice number. Using the same notice number for multiple base notices does not create a link between those notices. While a search for the notice number will return all notice types using that number, they will not be related. A best practice is to create a search agent for any notice number of interest. Once the search agent is created and scheduled to run, the vendor would then be notified if any new notice of any type was posted or modified using that notice number.

I'm using FBO web services to submit a Justification & Authorization (J&A) notice. Is the solicitation number a required field?

When using the submitJA web service method, the SOLNBR data element is not a system-required field. However, if the statutory authority given for the STAUTH data element is FAR 6.302-1(c) - Brand name, the buyer must provide the SOLNBR. This is a Federal Acquisition Regulation-driven requirement. The submitting agency is responsible for ensuring the SOLNBR is provided for any J&A based on FAR 6.302-1(c).

I'm using FBO web services to submit a Justification & Authorization (J&A) notice with a Brand Name justification (as outlined in FAR 6.302-1(c)). Are the data elements Award Number (AWDNBR) and Award Date (AWDDATE) required fields?

It depends which web service method you are using. If you are using the submitJA web service method, the AWDNBR and AWDDATE fields are required for all statutory authority types except FAR 6.302-1(c). If you are using the submitNotice web service method, the fields are defaulted to optional to allow for flexibility among notice types. However, you should provide the AWDNBR and AWDDATE fields for all statutory authority types except FAR 6.302-1(c). Please reference the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation to details.

Can I use FBO web services to pull a list of PR Numbers (for secure document packages) and their status (released/not released/attached)?

Can I use FBO web services to unarchive an award notice without providing an associated solicitation number?

Yes. An award can be unarchived via FBO web services using the unarchiveNotice web service method. A Solicitation Number or an Award Number must be provided to unarchive the related notice. Please reference the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation Unarchive Notice section for instructions.

I can now use the same solicitation number for multiple notice types. How will FBO know which base notice to use if I submit a modification / amendment?

If there is more than one base notice with the same solicitation number, i.e. a sources sought notice and a presolicitation notice, FBO requires web service users to submit the modification with both the solicitation number and the notice type.

I've cancelled a notice using FBO web services but cannot post a new notice of the same notice type using the same solicitation number. Why?

Cancelling a notice does not delete the notice. Cancelling merely informs the public the notice is no longer active. The notice remains visible in the system. You must use the deleteNotice web service method in order to be able to use the same solicitation number and notice type.

How do I submit a modification/amendment to a base notice posted before the release of FBO Version 4.7, i.e. before the system allowed notice number validation by type?

How does the validation of notice numbers by type impact the Interested Vendor List (IVL) or those users who have added a notice to their watchlist?

FBO is designed around the base notice type. The IVL and watchlist are tied to the base notice. If a vendor adds themselves to an IVL for a sources sought notice with a specific solicitation number, they will receive updates about that base notice. If a second notice of a different base notice type, i.e. a presolicitation, is posted with the same solicitation number, the vendor is not automatically added to the new IVL. A best practice is to create a search agent for any notice number of interest. Once the search agent is created and scheduled to run, the vendor would then be notified if any new notice was posted or modified using that notice number.

Can I post classified information to FBO?

No. FBO is not a repository for classified information. Do not upload any classified materials to FBO. Agency users are responsible for properly uploading controlled, unclassified materials to FBO using the access control procedures for document packages and attachments detailed in the FBO Buyers Guide.

Answers to Recovery Related Agency Questions

If I submit notices electronically via ftp/email, how do I ensure that my notices are flagged as a Recovery and Reinvestment Act action in the system?

The electronic interface will recognize if user submissions have "Recovery" as the first word in the title (<SUBJECT> tag within the template) for a notice. If so, the notice will automatically be flagged as a "Recovery and Reinvestment Act" action. Note: "Recovery" must be the first word and spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect.

I use FBO directly, how do I flag a notice as a Recovery and Reinvestment Act action?

When creating a new notice, Buyers are required to identify whether or not it is a Recovery Act action. If so, you must select the "yes" radio button for the "Is this a Recovery and Reinvestment Act action" field on the "Notice Details" form (Step 2) located below the "NAICS Code" field. When selected, this system tag annotates the notice as a Recovery Act-funded procurement and enables users to easily identify it as such.

Note: For audit purposes, the Recovery Accountability Transparency Board requires that you also insert the word "RECOVERY" in the first position of the Title field. "Recovery" must be the first word and spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect. Please refer to Department/Agency specific policy for any additional guidance on FedBizOpps posting requirements.

How do I provide the award notice concerning a delivery order or task order against an existing indefinite delivery contract (IDC)?

In order to provide the historic levels of transparency required by the Recovery Act, the government is posting all Recovery Act funded order notices on FedBizOpps. This includes award notices for task orders / delivery orders issued, which were previously unavailable. See FAR 5.704(a)(2) for additional information.

When building the notice, first select an Award Notice. Next, include the following statement in the Description field preceding the actual notice description:

"THIS NOTICE IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.
THIS OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO CONTRACTORS UNDER[Contracting officer insert program name. For example: GSA
Schedule 03FAC, COMMITS, Navy's SeaPort-e]."

Because these notices are "for information purposes only," FAR 5.203 does not apply and contracting officers should concurrently use their usual solicitation practice (e.g., e-Buy).

What type of notice do I select when advertising a Request for Proposal (RFP) action against an existing indefinite delivery contract (IDC) or vehicle (IDV)?

FBO allows the contract specialist maximum flexibility in the development of the synopsis number. There are 255 characters available and the field can include any combination of alphanumeric and/or four special characters, - _ ( ). Contract specialist need only use an identifier that is a unique number developed by the local contracting office to distinguish the action from other procurements in the office. The combination of contracting office, contract specialist, and the identifier will ensure the procurement is distinct from any other procurement in FedBizOpps.

It is suggested that if you want to issue a synopsis for a particular delivery order or task order under an existing indefinite delivery type contract, use the contract number of the basic contract and the delivery/task order number on the end. For example: OM0007-D-09-TEST-0100.

If that is not unique enough, use the original solicitation number, with the contract number of the basic contract, and the delivery/task order number on the end. For example: OM0007-R-06-TEST/OM0007-D-09-TEST-0100

How do I advertise a proposed action funded in whole or part by the Recovery Act?

Step 1. Select the type of notice.

If the procurement is in the presolicitation phase, select the Presolicitation Notice.

If the procurement is at the award phase, select the Award Notice.

Step 2. Annotate the notice as being funded in whole or in part by the Recovery Act.

For agency users accessing FedBizOpps through an interface, insert the word "RECOVERY" in the first position of the Title (<SUBJECT> tag within the template) field. The electronic interface will recognize this and the notice will automatically be flagged as a "Recovery and Reinvestment Act" action. Note: "Recovery" must be the first word and spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect.

For agencies using FedBizOpps directly, select the "yes" radio button, when asked "Is this a Recovery and Reinvestment Act action?" When selected, this system tag annotates the notice as a Recovery Act-funded procurement and enables users to easily identify it as such. Note: For audit purposes, the Recovery Accountability Transparency Board requires that you also insert the word "RECOVERY" in the first position of the Title field. "Recovery" must be the first word and spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect. Please refer to Department/Agency specific policy for any additional guidance on FedBizOpps posting requirements.

I submitted a notice electronically via ftp/email and accidentally flagged it as a Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded action. How can I remove the Recovery and Reinvestment Act flag in the system?

The electronic interface will recognize if user submissions have "NOTRECOVERY" as the first word in the title (tag within the template) for a notice. If so, the notice will automatically be unflagged as a "Recovery and Reinvestment Act" action. Note: "NotRecovery" must be the first word in the title, must be one word and must be spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect. Be assured, the notice title visible to the public will NOT have "NotRecovery" in the title. This is just a system cue.

I submitted a notice electronically via ftp/email and it got rejected for an invalid Set-Aside Value. Why?

The system conducts a validation check against the set-aside field for notices submitted electronically. This validation
check will trigger a system-generated rejection if

the set-aside value submitted by the interfacing system is invalid and/or

if an originating agency other than the Department of Veterans Affairs attempts to submit a notice using the
Veteran-Owned Small Business set-aside. This rejection will come near real-time (within 10-15 minutes of the notice submission)
allowing the submitter to manually update the set-aside value in the interfacing system.

Note: SETASIDE is not a required field. As such, you still do not have to put a value in this field. The system will only
run a validation check only when there is a value to check. The system will now generate an error if there is a value entered
and it is INVALID. The system will not generate a rejection notice for a blank set-aside field value as not every solicitation
has an associated Set-Aside category.

How do I post notices and solicitation documents on FBO using the e-mail or FTP interface?

In order to post documents to FBO using the email or FTP interface, a Federal buyer organization needs to follow these steps:

Develop software that will generate emails or FTP files with records in proper FBO template format out of your procurement system. Systems that previously submitted records to CBDNet may be employed with or without minor modifications (FBO is backward compatible with CBDNet).

Contact your Agency Administrator or the Federal Service Desk (www.fsd.gov) to request user authority (user-id and password) and for the e-mail address and URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the FBO test server.

Send test messages for each type of template.

Validate results on the FBO test server.

Notify your Agency Administrator when test is complete and schedule a switch over to the FBO production system.

Answers to Vendor Questions

How do I find a solicitation without the solicitation number?

To locate a specific solicitation without the solicitation number, you will need to search for the solicitation based on unique attributes of the solicitation. So for instance, you might search based on Agency, office, posted date, procurement classification code, and/or archived versus active status. The advance search features of the system are well suited for this purpose.

Go to www.fbo.gov and login as vendor (logging in allows you to save the search for later use. Note you can also do the same search not logged into the site using "opportunities" link on the home page, but the search cannot be saved for later use).

Click on "opportunities" upper navigation.

Click on "advanced search" sub-tab.

Use the fields to enter the terms of your search. There are some tools that might help as you set up your advanced search. If presented on a filter, you can use the "+" tool to select all values of the list (e.g., all procurement types). Then you could uncheck the one or two you may not want to include (e.g., uncheck "award"). Once you are satisfied with your filters, click "search"

Results are then presented on the "search results" tab.

From the search results page, users are given the option to save the search criteria for use at a later date. Click "save this search as a search agent"to save the search. If you do so, you will need to provide a label that you would like to use for the search agent. You will need to "save" the label once entered.

How do I get on the GSA Schedule?

For information about the GSA schedule, please contact the MAS Helpdesk at: Phone: (800) 488-3111, Email: mashelpdesk@gsa.gov, or go to http://www.gsa.gov/ and click on "GSA Schedules" to walk through the process.

How can I find business opportunities for the NAICS code that represents my business product or service?

First, you may want to validate your NAICS code selection at an Internet reference site, such as http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html. Once you have selected the 6-digit NAICS code that best represents your business product or service, you can use the code as a search filter. Note the filter search for NAICS Code allows you to select codes at either the broader (3 number) or narrow (6 number) code specificity.

Go to www.fbo.gov and login as vendor (logging on allows you to save the search for later use. Note you can also do the same search not logged into the site using "opportunities" link on the home page, but the search cannot be saved for later use).

Click on "opportunities" upper navigation.

Click on "advanced search" sub-tab.

Use the "NAICS Code:" field to filter your search. Hold down the Control Key (CTRL) with menu open to select to select multiple codes. The list is hierarchical in nature. Selections can be made at both the three digit code and the six digit code. Once you are satisfied with your filter selection, click "search"

Results are then presented on the "search results" tab.

From the search results page, users are given the option to save the search criteria for use at a later date. Click "save this search as a search agent"to save the search. If you do so, you will need to provide a label that you would like to use for the search agent. You will need to "save" the label once entered.

Refer any questions regarding the NAICS code and other synopsis content to the point of contact (POC) in the synopsis.

How can I find business opportunities for a specific set-aside designation.

The systems advance search feature is well suited for this purpose.

Go to www.fbo.gov and login as vendor (logging on allows you to save the search for later use. Note you can also do the same search not logged into the site using "opportunities" link on the home page, but the search cannot be saved for later use).

Click on "opportunities" upper navigation.

Click on "advanced search" sub-tab.

Use the "Set-Aside Code:" field to filter your search.

Results are then presented on the "search results" tab.

From the search results page, users are given the option to save the search criteria for use at a later date. Click "save this search as a search agent"to save the search. If you do so, you will need to provide a label that you would like to use for the search agent. You will need to "save" the label once entered.

Why am I unable to download information marked Export-Controlled?

A company must be certified by the Joint Certification Program (JCP) administered by the Defense Logistic Information Service (DLIS) to be eligible to download documents marked Export Controlled. This certification establishes that a company is a U.S. or Canadian contractor eligible to receive unclassified technical data that is under the control of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) or the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND).

If you are a vendor outside of the U.S. or Canada you must obtain authorization by the government agency; contact the Contracting Officer directly to obtain the documents.

How do I know if can submit an electronic response to an opportunity?

If electronic response submissions are enabled by the Buyer for a particular notice, a note will be visible within the "Notice Details" sub-tab indicating that the opportunity allows for electronic responses. Note: A vendor must login to the system to be able to submit an electronic response for an opportunity.

Why am I unable to submit an electronic response for an opportunity?

Why am I only able to submit a Line Item Builder form response to a notice? Or, why am I only able to submit a document response to a notice?

There are two types of electronic response submissions possible: Line Item Builder form and Document upload. The Buyer determines which options, if any, are enabled for a particular notice. What the vendor sees depends on which response type(s) the buyer enabled for that particular notice. So, you may see only the Line Item Builder form, only the Document Package upload, both the form and upload options, or neither option.

I submitted an electronic response for a notice, but I need to make changes. Or, I saved a draft response and am ready to submit it to the Buyer.

Once logged into the system, you can either click on the "Find Opportunities" Quicklink on the "My FBO" page, or go to "Opportunities" located in the top navigation. Click on the "Bids/Responses" tab to review a list of all electronic responses. Click on the "View" icon for the desired response. If the response deadline has passed for the opportunity, the system will advise you that you can no longer edit the response. (Note: You can always review a submitted response in read-only mode.) If the response deadline has not yet passed, the system will prompt you to click on a link to make changes. A user can also review a submitted electronic response from the "Notice Details" tab of an opportunity.

How will I know if the Buyer modified the Line Item Builder form?

If the Buyer modifies the Line Item Builder form after you submitted an electronic response, the FBO system will send an email to the email address on file for you alerting you that a change has been made. Also, when you review the response submitted for that notice, the system will display a message advising you that changes were made to the form.

How do I locate Justification & Approvals (J&As) on FBO?

Effective February 17, 2009, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Section 6.302 mandates that all Justification and Approval documents associated with any solicitation be posted to the public.

As of April 13, 2009, there is a new notice type called "Justification & Approval (J&A)" established within the Opportunities section. Buyers are now able to post a J&A Notice type and have it associated to the notice of award, if applicable. In addition, Vendors are able to search for and retrieve posted J&A Notices according to specific criteria, such as J&A Statutory Authority, Posted Date Range, and Contract Award Date (via Advanced Search).

Note: For J&As posted prior to April 13, 2009, users can search for J&As attached to an existing notice (such as Award Notice or Synopsis) as an amendment/modification. These documents are titled with the J&A and type of exception to full and open competition in the title of the document. For example, a document title could be: J&A6.302-1, J&A6302-2, etc. This allows any interested party to query "J&A" in the quick search function and find what has been posted.

Why can't we see certain documents in an RFP? Why do I have to register in SAM to see certain documents?

Since the events of September 11, 2001, the government has become more sensitive to documents that might provide
information on maps, floor plans, buildings, places, systems etc., that we choose to protect - to the greatest
extent possible. Although the procurement is on FedBizOpps because we seek to obtain full and open competition
among suppliers, we realize the best we can achieve is to track who has access to particular files. It is for this
reason alone that registration of our suppliers in SAM is required. In the event something happens to any portion
of the facilities, people in those facilities, information, or information inside the technology, the government
has a list of potential companies or individuals at those companies, who were provided the full RFP. No document
contained in FedBizOpps is classified. In addition, FedBizOpps users are not implying a new security classification
category. Nor is the application creating a new security classified code outside of existing security protocols. Use
of secure side within FedBizOpps simply represents the fact a member of the source selection team believes a
document's contents are sensitive. Therefore it is posted on the secure side to allow the government to provide
minimal details of who was given the procurement documents in the event of an investigation. The government
maintains the right to control the access to unclassified information. No document is limited in access in an
attempt to limit transparency. As long as a company is registered in SAM, they have access to any files on the
secure side of FedBizOpps.

Why does the FedBizOpps home page look different?

We made recent improvements to streamline the FedBizOpps user experience, increase search effectiveness, and simplify the process of locating relevant business opportunities. You will notice the home page layout now gives instant access to a more robust search ability. The reorganized advanced search page brings important search criteria to the top and standardizes search features. The set-aside codes are updated and a new link is given to provide more information on small business classifications. We hope these changes allow you to better find the information you need.

Is there a way to electronically download FBO notice data?

FBO supports a public file transfer protocol (FTP) site to promote sharing of notice information. The FTP site URL is ftp://ftp.fbo.gov/ and
provides users with the ability to anonymously download notice information. This information is updated daily and follows the
naming convention of "FBOFeedYYYYMMDD," i.e. ftp://ftp.fbo.gov/FBOFeed20091012. You simply need to modify the date portion of the URL.

Each daily file shows the changes during the reporting period (i.e. today's date is for yesterday's changes). Third party providers,
known as Value-Added Networks (VAN), can use this feed to create the "big picture" on their system by building on the previous feed.
The original notice and all modifications to archived notices are posted on one of the FTP feed files at some point in time.

To more easily conduct automated searches of the FBO database, and to have the system notify you when opportunities are posted that
meet your criteria, we recommend establishing a "search agent" within your registered account. Search agents can be established for any
combination of criteria, be set to run at your desired frequency and will notify you of relevant opportunities. See the Vendor's User Guide,
Section 4.10, for more information on this time-saving feature.

I want to help rebuild Haiti following the January 12, 2010 earthquake. How do I find and compete for contracting opportunities related to the Haitian Relief and Reconstruction Effort?

In addition to the information available on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) website at www.usaid.gov, you can locate other Federal agency opportunities to sell or provide goods or services related to the USAID's relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti here on FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov). On the FBO.gov homepage, enter the keyword "Haiti" in the Keyword / Solicitation # text box and select the appropriate Posted Date choice from the dropdown menu. You may further refine your search by selecting the Advanced Search link where you can narrow the results by multiple categories and search criteria.

I am a Vendor. The Presolicitation notice had no associated access control measures. Why does the Solicitation notice now require I meet access control measures such as logging in and verifying my MPIN through SAM?

The Buyer may have elected to publicize a Presolicitation to the greatest degree possible and not established any access control on it. However, if the Buyer determines the actual Solicitation requires a level of access control, the Buyer may choose to upload it as a secure document package. The Solicitation package will then take on those access control measures be they logging in and verifying your MPIN through SAM, being certified on the Joint Certification Program's Export Control List and/or being specifically granted explicit access to the Solicitation by the Buyer. If you have any questions on the rationale for using access control, contact the Federal agency Point of Contact listed on the notice.

Is there a way to download all active electronic notice information from FBO in a machine-readable format?

To further transparency and support the Open Government Initiative, FedBizOpps created a weekly XML file that contains all active Opportunities (Presolicitations, Combined Synopsis/Solicitations, Awards, etc) which is accessible from the Data.gov Raw Data Catalog located at http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/federal-business-opportunities-data. This file was designed to streamline data presentation outside the system. Click here if you are interested in an incremental view of the active FedBizOpps notices.

I am a Vendor. Can I search for Award Notices containing specific DUNS numbers?

FBO now supports a data element on the Award Notice form to capture the DUNS number. The field label is "Contractor Awarded DUNS." This field is a step towards increased traceability through different systems. Some contracting officers already include the DUNS number in parentheses at the end of the "Contractor Awardee" field as a work-around. You can search for specific DUNS by entering the nine numeric characters in the "Keyword" search box on the home page or in the Advanced Search. Notices will be returned showing those notices in which the contracting officer entered the DUNS. Note: If the contracting officer did not enter the DUNS, no results will be returned.

I am a Vendor. Due to personnel turnover, I need to remove a current FBO Vendor account holder from accessing FBO on my behalf. How can I delete or disable an account associated with my organization?

Submit a request to the Federal Service Desk (www.fsd.gov) identifying the current account holder (by name, account affiliated e-mail address or system username) that you want to modify, i.e. requesting to disable access or delete the account. Provide succinct justification for the account request and a means to contact you for verification.

I established a 'search agent' but am not receiving any opportunities?

If you created a Search Agent and are not getting results, please double check to make sure you scheduled the Search Agent to run automatically. For instructions about creating, scheduling and modifying Search Agents, reference the FBO.gov Vendor's User Guide, Section 4.10 which you can download for free from the FBO web portal.

If you have it scheduled to run and can see the time stamp of when it last ran, then check with your e-mail provider to see if the notifications are getting caught in a spam filter. The messages come from noreply@fbo.gov and are titled "Vendor Procurement Search Results." Please note, there is a difference between manually running the Search Agent and the automatic notifications:

When the Search Agent runs automatically, it will only return opportunities that are new or have been modified since the last scheduled run.

When you manually run the Search Agent, you get all matches regardless of new/modified status by hitting the RUN button on the Search Agent list.

If the Search Agent is scheduled to run, the spam filter is not blocking the automatic messages, and no results were e-mailed, then no new or modified opportunities matched the search criteria within that time period. For additional information on managing search agents, you may also watch the free demonstration video "Advanced Functionality: Search Agents, Watchlists and Export Controlled Documents" available on the FBO.gov portal and quicklinked from within your MyFBO home page.

Can FBO alert me automatically when a notice is posted meeting criteria I establish?

Absolutely. To more easily conduct automated searches of the FBO database, and to have the system notify you when opportunities are posted that meet your criteria, we recommend establishing a "search agent" within your registered account. Search agents can be established for any combination of criteria, be set to run at your desired frequency and will notify you of relevant opportunities.

From the search results page, users are given the option to save the search criteria for use at a later date. Click "save this search as a search agent" to save the search. If you do so, you will need to provide a label that you would like to use for the search agent. You will need to "save" the label once entered. You will also need to schedule the search agent to run automatically.

I located a notice that interests me. How can I receive automatic updates from FBO when something changes on this notice?

You can add it to a list of notices you are watching, called the Watch List. This allows you to easily reference targeted opportunities. First find the opportunity you are interested in and click the title to review. Next, click the "Watch This Opportunity" button. You will receive automatic e-mails from the FBO system when a modification occurs to this notice. Unlike the Interested Vendor's List --which depending on settings established by the contracting officer may be visible to other interested vendors and/or the contracting officer -- only you can see the notices you are watching.

You can quickly access this list by clicking the quicklink "View Watched List" from your MyFBO home page. You can also review/manage existing "watch list" opportunities by going to the "Watch List" sub-tab on the main navigation "Opportunities" page. Each notice you have added to your watch list will be shown. You can select the "Remove from Watch List" to remove an opportunity from your list. If you remove a notice, you will no longer receive updates about modifications to this notice.

Additional information can be found in the FBO.gov Vendor's User Guide, Section 4.12 which you can download for free from FBO.gov or in the free demonstration video "Advanced Functionality: Search Agents, Watchlists and Export Controlled Documents" also available on the FBO.gov portal and quicklinked from within your MyFBO home page.

How can I quickly reference the contract number for Recovery Act awards when searching FBO?

Select the [Search Recovery Awards] button on the FBO home page to see the name, solicitation number, contract number, awarding agency office location, notice type, any applicable set-aside category and posting date. You can refine your search results by selecting the [Refine Results] button to narrow the results returned by a variety of further data elements.

What are the new set-aside categories for the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program?

On October 7, 2010, the U.S. Small Business Administration published a final rule effective February 4, 2011, aimed at expanding federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs). The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract program authorizes contracting officers to set aside federal contracts for certain eligible businesses (also see FAR subpart 6.207):

Women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) or

Economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs)

The two associated set-aside categories in FBO are Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB. These set-aside types can be selected in the search function to display solicitations that apply to either of these set-asides.

If I add myself to the Interested Vendor List on a sources sought notice and the Federal agency later posts a presolicitiation notice using the same notice number, am I automatically on that IVL? What about adding a notice to my watchlist?

No. FBO was designed around notice types not the notice number. When a Federal agency uses the same notice number for multiple base notices (i.e. a sources sought notice and a presolicitation), it does not create a link between those notices. The IVLs and notices on your watchlist are identified by each base notice. While a search for the notice number will return all notice types using that number, they will not be related. A best practice is to create a search agent for any notice number of interest. Once the search agent is created and scheduled to run, you would then be notified if any new notice of any type was posted or modified using that notice number.

I have a women-owned small business. What are the new set-aside codes that I may be eligible to use when searching for contract opportunities?

There are two new set-aside codes in FBO for women-owned small business that are part of the Women-Owned Small Business Program administered by the Small Business Administration. The Small Business Act authorizes contracting officers to specifically limit, or set aside, certain requirements for competition solely among women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) or economically disadvantaged women owned small businesses (EDWOSBs). This is referred to as the WOSB Program, which was implemented on February 4, 2011.

Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business

An Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) is a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more women who are citizens (born or naturalized) of the United States and who are economically disadvantaged. The EDWOSB automatically qualifies as a women-owned small business eligible for the WOSB Program.

A woman is presumed economically disadvantaged if she has a personal net worth of less than $750,000, her adjusted gross yearly income averaged over the three years preceding the certification does not exceed $350,000, and the fair market value of all her assets (including her primary residence and the value of the business concern) does not exceed $6 million.

Women-Owned Small Business

A Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) is a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more women who are citizens (born or naturalized) of the United States.

These procurement mechanisms are meant to increase federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs and to assist agencies in achieving their women-owned small business goals. These procedures are implemented in the SBA's regulations, which can be found at 13 C.F.R. Part 127. See Women-Owned Small Businesses at www.sba.gov for more information.

I have a women-owned small business. How do I search for set-asides under the WOSB Program?

Using the Advanced Search function on the FBO Home Page, check the appropriate box under "Set-Aside Code" in the search form for "Women Owned Small Business" or "Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business." The next step is to click on the "Search" button (located at the top and bottom of the "Advanced Search" form) to display the results.

What is the FBO Anti-Spamming Policy?

FBO Anti-Spamming Policy: The information provided in your account profile is monitored. Providing inaccurate information in a user profile (e.g. misrepresenting the company name or first and last name fields and / or including superfluous marketing material in the company information) may result in having your FBO account suspended.

Answers to Recovery Related Vendor Questions

How do I locate notices related to the Recovery and Reinvestment Act?

There is a new search filter that vendors can use to locate notices related to the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. From the FBO.gov homepage, go to "Opportunities" and click on either the "Search by Classification, NAICS code, Recovery actions and more..." link located below the "Keywords/SOL#" search field, or go directly to the "Advanced Search" tab. The new search field is located at the bottom of the form below the "NAICS Code" search field.

How do I know if a notice is a Recovery and Reinvestment Act action?

The system will display an icon labeled "RECOVERY" next to the notice title within the "Opportunities List" tab, as well as under the notice title found in the heading of a notice within the "Notice Details" tab.

Why are there presolicitation notices for orders funded by the Recovery Act that indicate "For Information Purposes Only" and for which only certain contractors are eligible to compete?

The government is providing new levels of transparency with the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). Proposed orders do not generally require FedBizOpps notifications because only contractors who received awards under the initial solicitation for the task or delivery order contract are eligible for such orders. However, to provide unprecedented levels of transparency for the use of Recovery Act funds, the government is posting all Recovery Act funded order notices on FedBizOpps. If you are a contractor interested in learning about opportunities for getting your own task or delivery order contract from the government, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/procurement and select "Multi-agency contract opportunities."

How can I extract and sort Recovery Act notice information?

In order to increase transparency, FedBizOpps now provides a flat file report for all Recovery Act-funded opportunities and awards posted by Federal agencies. These weekly reports are publicly available and stored on an ftp site (Opportunities and Awards) for easy access. Users may save them as their own files. Please direct any questions about data in the report to the Federal agency who posted the notice.

Answers to Small Business Central Event Listing Questions

How can I find Small Business Events for Outreach and Training?

FBO now contains the Small Business Central Event Listing. Federal agencies have been directed to post Small Business Events such as conferences and training on FedBizOpps using the Special Notice. To find events of interest, use the button on the FBO homepage or search for the notice type 'special notice' with the keyword phrase "Small Business Events." Like any search on FedBizOpps, you can refine the results of your "Small Business Events" search by fields such as Federal agency, location, date posted, etc. FBO only hosts the notices: please contact the posting agency for any details about the event itself.

What is the Small Business Central Event Listing?

The Interagency Task Force on Small Business Contracting recommended that agencies post all new outreach and training events on FedBizOpps in order to make it easier and less burdensome for small businesses to learn about and transact business with the federal government. The new Small Business Central Event Listing Outreach and Training provides a dynamic "calendar" for allowing small business users to search for business development, matchmaking, and training opportunities by various criteria, including agency, date, location, and small business category.

As a Federal agency representative, how do I advertize my agency's Small Business Events on FedBizOpps?

To create an event listing, log in a government user (buyer) at www.fbo.gov and select 'create notice.' When creating an event listing, use 'special notice' as the notice type and ensure the "title" field begins with "Small Business Event" to facilitate easier searching by small
businesses.

Note: The system will key on 'special notice' as the notice type and the text string "Small Business Event" in the title when returning search results. If you do not use 'special notice' as the notice type or use the text string "Small Business Event," your event listing will not appear in
the search results. For more information on creating and managing notices in FBO, consult the Buyer User Guide or watch the Managing FBO Notices training video on the 'Getting Started' tab.

Answers to Vendor Collaboration Central Event Listing Questions

What is "Vendor Collaboration?"

Agencies seeking vendor input on ideas and vendors (including small businesses) interested in entering the Federal government marketplace or providing input to improve federal acquisitions, can now find information on vendor collaboration and engagement opportunities in one place: the Vendor Collaboration Central Event Listing, located at www.fbo.gov.

Improving management of Federal information technology through increased vendor collaboration and engagement is an Administration priority. Creating a new central location for collaboration opportunities using a single source - FedBizOpps - that is familiar to many businesses (including small businesses), will help in easily identifying engagement opportunities and promoting agency vendor engagement plans.

What is the Vendor Collaboration Central Event Listing? And how do I use it?

The Vendor Collaboration Central Event Listing on FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov) is a dynamic tool that will allow businesses to quickly search for Federal agency collaboration or engagement opportunities such as pre-Request for Proposal (RFP) collaboration events. In support of their vendor engagement plans, Federal agencies can post opportunities to engage and collaborate with industry prior to the RFP phase for Information Technology (IT) investments.

To find opportunities of interest, use the button on the FBO homepage, or search for the notice type 'special notice' with the keyword phrase "Vendor Collaboration." Like any search on FedBizOpps, you can refine the results or your "Vendor Collaboration" search by fields such as Federal agency, location, date posted, etc. Each individual "Vendor Collaboration" special notice posted at FedBizOpps will provide an agency point of contact for further information about the posted event.

As a Federal agency representative, how do I advertise a "vendor collaboration" opportunity?

To create a vendor collaboration opportunity event listing, log in as a government user (buyer) at www.fbo.gov to create a 'special notice.' Use the notice type of 'special notice' and ensure the "title" field begins with "Vendor Collaboration" to facilitate easier searching by interested entities. If your effort is for IT collaboration, the construct would be "Vendor Collaboration - IT." If it is for services, "Vendor Collaboration - Services."

To maximize the utility of the dynamic event listing, information on the following elements should be provided in each posted notice, at a minimum:

Collaboration description - what are your objectives?

Date or date ranges for the collaboration opportunity;

Times (if applicable);

Who can participate;

Platform being used and link to the platform or engagement opportunity;

Point of contact.

Note: The system will key on 'special notice' as the notice type and the text string "Vendor Collaboration" in the title when returning search results and interested parties would then be able to further refine by searching for "IT" or "services."